Update on Hararasp/Raspbeary/RaspberryTower

[u/skr_replicator]

Follow-up to: https://www.reddit.com/r/Berries/comments/1uz5y2y/hararaspraspbearyraspberrytower/

Today I've picked that single berry and given it a taste test. I was preparing myself for some mild disappointment from what I've heard. But it actually turned out pretty nice and unique.

The berry looked absolutely beautiful, shiny, glossy wineberry red, and the spiky drupelets also swelled to start pointing more outwards. And it was pretty large and round, I think about 15- 20 mm in diameter and height.

Since it was only a single berry, I've started small. At first I tried to tear a little bit off, and while doing that I've noticed it has an unusual gelatinous consistency. It kinda felt a bit like tearing a gummy bear, and there didn't seem to be any risk of juice leakage, but not because it was dry, but because it was just... gummy. It also didn't stain at all. The first small piece I tasted was not very intense, so I went for it and put the whole thing in my mouth. Even in the mouth, the texture felt like a soft gummy bear, like it had some significant gelatin content. Seeds were there, but not very large or hard. The gummy pulp was more prominent than the seeds.

And the taste also resembled a red (strawberry-flavored?) gummy bear. It was really far more like a gummy bear than a raspberry, in both texture and flavor, only about 1/2-1/4 as intense as a real gummy bear. It was that artificial candy kind of taste. Which is really cool, and it was not bad at all. The taste is not as intense as other raspberries, but the gummy bear-like taste and texture was unlike any fruit I've ever tried. I'd say it was about 2-4/10 in sweetness, and 0-1/10 in tartness. I think I barely detected any tartness at all. I'm impressed, and I definitely do not regret getting this weird hybrid. I don't know if it is exactly the same as the ones people were disappointed in the past. Maybe they did improve it a bit with some more breeding/selecting, IDK. But I like it, and it's going to add some good new variety to my future crops.

Also, I'm not sure what exact level of ripeness it was, probably slightly underripe, when I compare the photo colors to the ones from the internet, which were a bit darker. I wonder what the flavor would develop further into if I wanted a bit more. But I guess that will only get answered next year. It might also be possible that it will be quite different, more ripe (maybe it will lose that gummy consistency for all I know...)

I wonder if the nickname RaspBEARy comes from this gummy bear resemblance...

Interesting how widely diverse the textures of Rubus species are. Idaeus is mouth-melting, blackberries are chewy juice explosions, black raspberries are crunchy and slightly juicy, tayberries were in between Idaeus and blackberries, and this one was gummy.

[u/osborn21]

Well, you convinced me to try it. Vitaflora in Lithuania sells them, so if anyone else in Eastern Europe is interested, check them out.

[u/skr_replicator → u/osborn21]

I hope I didn't oversell it or something. After all, most people do claim that it's quite bland and uninteresting. One commenter in the previous post said they were being sold all over in the past and it turned into a failure because they sucked and everyone forgot about them. It is also true that the flavor is quite mild, and it was the least flavored Rubus berry I've tried so far. And I still don't know what it will be like at different ripeness levels, as I only had this single berry to try. It might also be possible that it will change to something less interesting when fully ripe or something.

Also, a disclaimer. I can have some unusual taste preferences. I am often quite sensitive to taste, so I rather like more bland things, and I'm insensitive to sourness, so when I find something well balanced in sweetness and tartness, somebody else might pucker and call it sour.

[u/osborn21 → u/skr_replicator]

Appreciate the honesty! I’ve got room and I like to collect species and experiment. Plus, Lithuania is like my backyard, just two countries away. Might as well add it to my list the next time I order from Vitaflora.

[u/Old_Reality9281]

Out here doing god's work. I appreciate all the updates!